Choose between J&K and Ladakh: Govt to employees

The state will be bifurcated into two UTs on October 31

SRINAGAR: As the countdown for October 31, when Jammu and Kashmir will become a Union territory, begins, the state government has asked its employees to sign a two-page document asking them whether they want to serve in J&K or Ladakh.

The document, which was issued by the general administration department, has two annexure.

However, most of the employees complained that they were not shown the first annexure while the officials asked them to sign the letter on the annexure 2. Those who have signed the document said it sought details of employees and their preference for working in J&K or Ladakh.

“I opt to be allocated to the Union Territory of ................ ,” the document seeks the option from employees on the blank space. It also asks for the reason as to “why I prefer to be allocated to the UT of J&K/UT of Ladakh”.

However, majority of the employees complained that despite insistence the officials didn’t give them the first annexure. “My officer got my signature on a letter in which annexure 2 was written. No one was shown the first part of the letter,” said an employee of the education department posted in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Another employee said he signed a letter with fill details of his employment and place of preference for serving the tenure. “All employees have filled the forms and submitted them to the head of department,” he added.

There are around 5 lakh government employees in the state and a process is underway to distribute them between the two Union territories.

The government had already formulated sub-committees to complete the process before October 31. While J&K will have a Lt Governor with an assembly, Ladakh will have an administrator without assembly.

Last month, the government had constituted a 12-member committee comprising senior officers for devising modalities for functioning of the UT’s. Governor Satya Pal Malik is head of the committee with commissioner secretaries/secretaries of finance, health, planning, public works, Ladakh affairs, general administration department, higher education, revenue, law and justice and parliamentary affairs as its members.

The government has already issued an order for authorisation of funds into and from the consolidated fund and custody of money in public account of the new UTs.

THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT ASKS EMPLOYEES TO SIGN TWO-PAGE DOCUMENT ASKING THEM TO GIVE PREFERENCE